The verdict initially seemed dour on whether the Lakers could land a top free agent. But one prospect that apparently ruled them out only a day ago has given the Lakers another chance.

Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge will meet with the Lakers on Thursday in Los Angeles, according to a league source familiar with the situation. The discussion will center on basketball, a league source said.Continue reading →

One night after missing a potential game-tying free throw in the closing seconds against Memphis, the Lakers’ Ed Davis shot 150 free throws at practice and has shown improvement at the free-throw line. Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

The Lakers’ unsuccessful free agency has taken a turn, morphing from missing out on star players toward failing to retain ones they want to keep.

Ed Davis agreed to a three-year deal worth $20 million with the Portland Trail Blazers, according league sources familiar with the situation. Davis has no options on his deal, league sources said.

The Lakers, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics all expressed interest in Davis, according to a league source. Davis ideally hoped for either a two-or-three-year deal worth $7-8 million, or a one-year deal worth $9-10 million with the Lakers.Continue reading →

The Lakers spent the first day of free agency operating at a swift pace, fitting in meetings with three marquee free agents that involved a round-trip cross-country flight.

The Lakers learned just as quickly that their initial efforts have not panned out as hoped. Less than 24 hours after meeting Detroit center Greg Monroe for a two-hour meeting in Washington D.C., he agreed to a three-year, $50 million maximum contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to a Yahoo! Sports report. Monroe had also met with the New York Knicks and the Portland Trail Blazers.Continue reading →

The Lakers had a meeting with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan on Wednesday in Los Angeles. (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News)

The Lakers concluded a long-day that included a cross-country flight and few rejections in the free agency market with a meeting with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening.

The Lakers originally planned to see Jordan around 8 p.m. PST, but they moved up the time to 6 p.m. after team officials arrived in Los Angeles earlier than expected, according to a league source familiar with the situation. The Lakers’ meeting lasted about two hours, which matched the allotted time they spent with Portland center LaMarcus Aldridge Tuesday night in Los Angeles and with Detroit center Greg Monroe on Wednesday afternoon in Washington D.C.

But that length pales to how long Jordan spent with the Dallas Mavericks. He visited with them on Tuesday evening, including Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, as well as a 4 1/2 hour meeting on Wednesday. That visit included what one source in the room described as various breakout sessions, which included Cuban, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, president Donnie Nelson, forward Dirk Nowitzki and forward Chandler Parsons. Jordan left the meeting with Dallas impressed with its basketball pitch.Continue reading →

The frustrations became wide-ranging for Carlos Boozer, spending his lone year with the Lakers last season missing the playoffs and partly fulfilling a bench role for the first time in eight years.

But despite averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per-game average in what represented his lowest marks since his rookie year in the 2002-03 season, Boozer has fielded interest from various teams since free agency started. Among the teams that expressed interest in re-signing him included the Lakers, Clippers, San Antonio, Portland, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Washington and Miami, according to a league source familiar with the situation.

The Lakers did not express much interest in retaining Boozer after the 2014-15 season, mindful of his performance and its bloated frontcourt that currently includes Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr, Ryan Kelly and Tarik Black. The Lakers also would like to retain Ed Davis, though it remains unclear if they will keep him after he declined his player option worth $1.1 million player option.

Despite issuing a full-court press with a two-hour meeting, the Lakers will not land LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times and Yahoo! Sports.

One league source categorized the reports as “false.” But both detailed Aldridge apparently feeling unimpressed with the Lakers’ presentation, believing that it put too much focus on branding opportunities over both basketball strategy and the team’s rebuilding.

The Lakers brought a full cast to the meeting, most notably Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, coach Byron Scott, general manager Mitch Kupchak, president Jeanie Buss and executive Jim Buss. The Lakers’ meeting also included assistant general manager Glenn Carraro, senior vice president of business operations Tim Harris, team publicist John Black as well as representatives with Time Warner Cable SportsNet and AEG.

Aldridge also met with the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.

Kevin Love announced in an essay with The Players Tribune that he is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers(Mark Duncan/The Associated Press)

In the second day of free agency, a marquee player already has become unavailable for the Lakers.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward and former UCLA standout Kevin Love announces his plans to re-sign with the Cavaliers on the Player’s Tribune website.

“I’m going back to Cleveland,” Love wrote in the essay. After Game 1 of the NBA Finals, that’s when it really struck me. Sitting on the sidelines, I never wanted to play in a game more than that one. I had dreamed of playing in the NBA Finals and I just wanted to help my guys win. I couldn’t have been prouder of them as they poured their blood, sweat and tears onto the court.”Continue reading →

The Lakers tackled the second day of free agency with aggressiveness and urgency even before it began.

Shortly after a two-hour meeting Tuesday night in Los Angeles with Portland center LaMarcus Aldrridge, various Lakers officials including coach Byron Scott and general manager Mitch Kupchak took a red-eye flight to Washington D.C. so they could visit Detroit center Greg Monroe on Wednesday around noon EST.

The Lakers reported the two-hour meeting with Monroe going well, which also included assistant general manager Glenn Carraro, senior vice president of business operations Tim Harris and team publicist John Black. A source that sat in on the Monroe meeting described it as “more low key” than their visit with Aldridge, though the team left both meetings with positive impressions. Kobe Bryant, James Worthy, president Jeanie Buss, executive Jim Busss and representatives with both Time Warner Cable SportsNet and AEG also participated in the Lakers’ meeting with Aldridge.

Lakers#17 Jeremy Lin shoots, but can not hit a 3-pointer against Nuggets#3 Ty Lawson and Nuggets#00 Darrell Arthur in the 4th quarter. The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 106-96 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA February 10, 2015. (Photos by John McCoy / Los Angeles Daily News)

Despite a lone season here filled with frustration over his own inconsistency, a fluctuating role and an unconventional offense, a possible Jeremy Lin partnership with the Lakers is not entirely over.

The Lakers expressed interest in retaining Lin after free agency began on Tuesday night, according to a league source familiar with the situation. Lin also fielded interest from several teams, including Dallas, Memphis, Indiana, Chicago, San Antonio and the Clippers, according to a league source. But before free agency began, both the Lakers and Lin felt lukewarm about a reunion for several reasons.Continue reading →

After experiencing the Lakers’ support through both a significant role and a family tragedy, Wayne Ellington had another reason to feel gracious toward them.

The Lakers contacted Ellington shortly after free agency began on Tuesday evening to express interest in retaining him, according to a league source familiar with the situation. Cleveland, Golden State, Washington, San Antonio and Atlanta also showed interest, a league source said, though Ellington hopes his future rests with the purple and gold. Ellington averaged 10 points on 41.2 percent shooting in 25.8 minutes through 65 games. That bodes similar to the career-highs he posted also under Byron Scott in Cleveland (2012-13) in points (10.4), shooting percentage (43.9) and minutes played (25.9).Continue reading →

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